I'm going to continue on the question of regional production. General programming other than information programs, be it dramas, entertainment programs, youth, and so on, is currently centralized in Montreal. Independent and private producers are concentrated in Montreal because that's where the broadcasters are, that is Radio-Canada, TVA, TQS and the specialty channels. The areas outside of Montreal have been completely emptied of content production, what someone earlier called the “Montrealization” of television.
Radio-Canada's programming this year reflects what I have always called the Plateau Mont-Royal vision of Canada. I'm from Quebec City; I've lived in Sept-Îles and I'm originally from the Gaspé Peninsula. I can tell you that this programming does not always reflect the reality of Canadians and Quebeckers in the Quebec City region. As the private producers are based in Montreal, their vision is necessarily always that of Montreal.
Radio-Canada should have the opportunity to produce regional programs—it should even be required to do them—in order to reflect the regions, somewhat as it did, for example, with Le Temps d'une paix, which was about the Charlevoix region. You know the story of Radio-Canada's production; I don't need to go back over it.
Regional programming is important if we want to break the mould of productions centralized in Montreal and reflect the regions, not just in the area of information. Of course, we have to have regional information programs, but we also need other types of regional programs.